In the related art, there is known a positioning apparatus that measures a position of a positioning target using wireless communication technology. This type of positioning apparatus includes a mobile station that moves together with the positioning target, and the mobile station measures radio wave reception intensity when radio waves transmitted from a base station provided in a predetermined place, for example, beacons, are received. The positioning apparatus acquires a measurement value of the radio wave reception intensity from the mobile station, that is, a so-called RSSI value, calculates a distance between the mobile station and the base station from the RSSI value, and specifies a position of the positioning target based on one piece or a plurality of pieces of distance information.
In general, a scheme for specifying a position of a positioning target based on one piece of distance information is called a one-point positioning scheme. A scheme for specifying a position of a positioning target based on two pieces of distance information is called a two-point positioning scheme. A scheme for specifying a position of a positioning target based on three pieces of distance information is called a three-point positioning scheme.
In the case of the two-point positioning scheme, a positioning apparatus specifies a position on a line segment connecting two base stations to each other with a straight line. Therefore, it is necessary to set, in the positioning apparatus, that the two base stations are a pair, whereby the positioning apparatus can recognize that the two base stations are located at both ends of the line segment. For the setting, a list is used in which partner base stations are respectively set, each of which may be a set of the two-point positioning scheme with a base station, in association with a plurality of base stations.
Normally, the list is artificially generated by a person in charge. Therefore, after setting the other base station as a partner base station for one base station, sometimes the person in charge forgets to set the one base station as a partner base station for the other base station. Also, improper setting may be made sometimes such as that a line segment connecting two paired base stations to each other is set to cross over an obstacle. When an area where positioning is performed is wide or there is an obstacle, a plurality of base stations are provided in the area. In such a case, since the list is very complicated, setting errors increase. Accordingly, an apparatus capable of evaluating the consistency of the list is required.